Mike Pender's Searchers contains lead singer and guitarist Mike Pender

Mike Pender

Mike Pender was an original founding member of Merseybeat group The Searchers. He is best known as the lead vocalist on many hit singles by The Searchers, including the song "Needles and Pins"...

 formerly of The Searchers

The Searchers (band)

The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....

. Pender left The Searchers in December 1985 hoping to explore new musical directions while preserving the classic 12-string guitar style that he helped to popularise. Mike Pender's Searchers showcase the classic hits from Pender's many years with The Searchers in addition to his all-new material and a blend of popular rock standards by classic artists such as Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

, The Drifters

The Drifters

The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...

 and Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison

Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...

.

History

Mike Pender left The Searchers in 1985 to pursue a career of his own, marking a new beginning. In the 1980s, Mike Pender joined an all-star rock band known as The Corporation AKA The Traveling Wrinklies, whose name was a parody of the popular rock group Traveling Wilburys with Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and George Harrison. The Traveling Wrinklies contained Mike Pender of The searchers, Brian Poole of Brian poole & The Tremeloes, Clem Curtis of The Foundations, Tony Crane of The Merseybeats/ The Merseys and Reg Presley, lead singer of The Troggs. They released a 45 on the Corporation label: KORP 1 ,an updated version of The Showstoppers "Ain't Nothing But A House Party".
With The Searchers continuing to perform, John McNally and Frank Allen replaced Mike Pender with a new vocalist named Spencer James (ex- First Class (Beach Baby).

Selecting a group of talented musicians, Mike Pender sought to re–create the unique sound that popularised The Searchers. Forming the band Mike Pender's Searchers, they began touring in the late 1980s. Between 1992 and 1995, Tony Jackson performed four times with Mike Pender's Searchers.

Mike Pender's Searchers re-recorded some of The Searchers hits and added 5 new tracks and released one CD, these tracks have however been re-licenced and released time and time again under different titles in various countries around the world. Mike Pender's Searchers continue to book new shows and tour,though infrequently, Mike Pender tends to perform as a solo artist these days. In 1994 Mike Pender's Searchers were the very first 1960s band to be invited to play on board the QE2

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2

Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...

 as part of the ocean liner's 25th anniversary celebrations. During live performances, Mike Pender's Searchers use their own custom built lighting and sound equipment and Mike Pender uses several different guitars including his famous 12-string Rickenbacker. Mike Pender and his 12-string guitar are referenced in a recent book entitled "Electric Guitars, The Illustrated Encyclopedia" by author and guitar enthusiast Tony Bacon.

CD albums

• That Was Then This Is Now
• Mike Pender's Searchers
• Sweets for My Sweet
• Best Of Mike Pender's Searchers
• Needles & Pins

Singles (Mike Pender's Searchers)

• It's Over/Brother and Sisters 7" and 12" versions credited to Mike Pender

Mike Pender's Searchers did not release any singles.

DVDs

• The British Invasion Returns with Mike Pender's Searchers, Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone, Wayne Fontana from The Mindbenders, The Troggs, Gerry Marsden of Gerry & The Pacemakers

CD Compilations (various artists)

• Forever Gold: Gold Collection: Party Favorites
• Rolling Back the Years: The 60s
• Rock N' Roll Reunion: 1964
• Top Ten Hits of the Sixties: Your Favourite Sixties Supergroups
• UK No. 1 Hits Of The 60s CD
• Merseybeat - Mike Pender's Searchers with Billy J Kramer and Fourmost (1CD)
• The Greatest Hits Of Tug Boat Records
• The British 60s Volume 3
• Rolling Back The Years The 60s
• The Best of the Love Songs
• Hits Of The 60s
• Dreamtime: Volume 2
• Fab Sixties Boxed set
• Hits of the 60's
• Hits of The Searchers/Gerry & the Pacemakers - British 60's CD featuring 10 cuts from Mike Pender's Searchers and 10 cuts from Gerry Marsden

Traveling Wrinklies

(with Mike Pender

Mike Pender

Mike Pender was an original founding member of Merseybeat group The Searchers. He is best known as the lead vocalist on many hit singles by The Searchers, including the song "Needles and Pins"...

, Brian Poole

The Tremeloes

The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...

, Clem Curtis

Clem Curtis

Clem Curtis is a singer and former lead vocalist of sixties British soul group The Foundations.-Early years:...

, Tony Crane

Tony Crane

Anthony Steven "Tony" Crane is a former English footballer. He notably played as a professional for Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town and was active between 1999 and 2009. His original position was in the centre of midfield, but he later became utilised as a defender. During his time with...

 and Reg Presley

Reg Presley

Reg Presley is an English singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer with prominent 1960s rock and roll band The Troggs, whose best known hit was "Wild Thing", though their only UK number one single was "With A Girl Like You"...

 of The Troggs

The Troggs

The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...

)

• Ain't Nothing But A House Party